MLB discloses all Opening Day starters
It didn’t have the drama of the NCAA Tournament bracket release of two days earlier, but MLB held its own unveiling Tuesday by announcing the starting pitching matchups for all season openers.
At least half the teams already had announced their Opening Day starters.
“To be able to be told by your skipper that you’re going to be the guy that’s starting the first game of the season, it’s an honor,” Colorado pitcher Kyle Freeland said in a video released by the team announcing him as its opening day starter. “I definitely don’t take it lightly. It’s great to know and have that feeling that you’ve accomplished something that only a handful of guys get to do on a consistent basis.”
The MLB opener today (at 3 a.m.) at Seoul, South Korea, had Dodgers newcomer Tyler Glasnow facing San Diego’s Yu Darvish. Glasnow signed a $136.5 million, five-year contract with the Dodgers after they acquired him from Tampa Bay.
Perhaps the most notable matchup has Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler facing Atlanta’s Spencer Strider at Citizens Bank Park. Corbin Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner for Milwaukee, is to make his Baltimore debut in an opener against the visiting Angels.
The Chicago White Sox announced Monday that left-hander Garrett Crochet will make his first career start on Opening Day. The 24-year-old Crochet is moving into the rotation this season, but all 72 of his previous big league appearances have come in relief.
Oakland gave its Opening Day assignment to Alex Wood, a 33-year-old left-hander who had never started an opener before.
Some other Opening Day pitching matchups include Jose Quintana for the New York Mets facing off with Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta, Burnes vs. Patrick
Sandoval for the Angels, Cincinnati’s Frankie Montas vs. Washington’s Josiah Gray, Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin vs. Toronto’s José Berríos, Miami’s Jesús Luzardo vs. Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller, Kansas City’s Cole Ragans vs. Minnesota’s Pablo López, Houston’s Framber Valdes facing Nestor Cortes of the New York Yankees, Crochet matching up with Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi facing Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs, Freeland facing Arizona’s Zac Gallen, Wood facing Cleveland’s Shane Bieber and Seattle’s Luis Castillo vs. Boston’s Brayan Bello.
Logan Webb gets the call for San Francisco when the Giants open their season against the Padres, and Miles Mikolas will pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals in their opener against the Dodgers.
For Bieber, he will start the Guardians’ opener for the fifth straight season.
The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner, Bieber has had a solid spring training with the Guardians after making just 21 starts last season due to elbow issues.
The 28-year-old has shown an uptick in velocity, another sign he’s healthy and returning to form. Bieber went 6-6 with a 3.80 ERA last season but was sidelined from midJuly until late September.
Bieber is 60-32 with a 3.27 ERA in 134 games since debuting with Cleveland in 2018. The right-hander won the Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened ‘20 season, when he led the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts.
Bieber was selected AllStar Game MVP when Cleveland hosted in 2019.
He joins Corey Kluber and Stan Coveleski as the only pitchers in franchise history to start five consecutive openers.
The Guardians open March 28 in Oakland. The game will also be a homecoming for first-year Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt, who retired following the 2022 season with the A’s.
FIRST FOUR
At Dayton, Ohio Tuesday’s results
Wagner 71, Howard 68 Colorado St. 67, Virginia 42
Today’s games
Montana St. (17-17) vs. Grambling St. (20-14), 3:40 p.m.
Boise St. (22-10) vs. Colorado (24-10), 6:10 p.m.
EAST REGIONAL
FIRST ROUND Thursday’s games At Omaha, Neb.
No. 6 BYU (23-10) vs. No. 11 Duquesne (24-11), 9:40 a.m.
No. 3 Illinois (26-8) vs. No. 14 Morehead St. (26-8), 12:10 p.m.
No. 2 Iowa St. (27-7) vs. No. 15 South Dakota St. (22-12), 4:35 p.m.
No. 7 Washington St. (24-9) vs. No. 10 Drake (28-6), 7:05 p.m.
Friday’s games At Brooklyn, N.Y.
No. 8 FAU (25-8) vs. No. 9 Northwestern (21-11), 9:15 a.m.
No. 1 UConn (31-3) vs. No. 16 Stetson (22-12), 11:45 a.m.
At Spokane, Wash.
No. 5 San Diego St. (24-10) vs. No. 12 UAB (23-11), 10:45 a.m.
No. 4 Auburn (27-7) vs. No. 13 Yale (22-9), 1:15 p.m.
SOUTH REGIONAL
FIRST ROUND Thursday’s games At Pittsburgh
No. 3 Kentucky (23-9) vs. No. 14 Oakland (23-11), 4:10 p.m.
No. 6 Texas Tech (23-10) vs. No. 11 N.C. State (22-14), 6:40 p.m.
Friday’s games At Indianapolis
No. 2 Marquette (25-9) vs. No. 15 W. Kentucky (22-11), 11 a.m.
No. 7 Florida (24-11) vs. No. 10 Boise St.Colorado winner, 1:30 p.m.
At Memphis, Tenn.
No. 8 Nebraska (23-10) vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (20-14), 3:50 p.m.
No. 1 Houston (30-4) vs. No. 16 Longwood (21-13), 6:20 p.m.
At Brooklyn, N.Y.
No. 4 Duke (24-8) vs. No. 13 Vermont (28-6), 4:10 p.m.
No. 5 Wisconsin (22-13) vs. No. 12 James Madison (31-3), 6:40 p.m.
MIDWEST REGIONAL
FIRST ROUND Thursday’s games At Pittsburgh
No. 3 Creighton (23-9) vs. No. 14 Akron (24-10), 10:30 a.m.
No. 6 South Carolina (26-7) vs. No. 11 Oregon (23-11), 1 p.m.
At Charlotte, N.C.
No. 7 Texas (20-12) vs. No. 10 Colorado St. (25-10), 3:50 p.m.
No. 2 Tennessee (24-8) vs. No. 15 St. Peter’s (19-13), 6:20 p.m.
At Salt Lake City
No. 5 Gonzaga (25-7) vs. No. 12 McNeese St. (30-3), 4:25 p.m.
No. 4 Kansas (22-10) vs. No. 13 Samford (29-5), 6:55 p.m.
Friday’s games At Indianapolis
No. 1 Purdue (29-4) vs. No. 16 Montana St.-Grambling St. winner, 4:25 p.m.
No. 8 Utah St. (27-6) vs. No. 9 TCU (21-12), 6:55 p.m.
WEST REGIONAL
FIRST ROUND Thursday’s games At Charlotte, N.C.
No. 8 Mississippi St. (21-13) vs. No. 9 Michigan St. (19-14), 9:15 a.m.
No. 1 North Carolina (27-7) vs. No. 16 Wagner (17-15), 11:45 a.m.
At Salt Lake City
No. 2 Arizona (25-8) vs. No. 15 Long Beach St. (21-14), 11 a.m.
No. 7 Dayton (24-7) vs. No 10 Nevada (26-7), 1:30 p.m.
Friday’s games At Memphis, Tenn.
No. 3 Baylor (23-10) vs. No. 14 Colgate (25-9), 9:40 a.m.
No. 6 Clemson (21-11) vs. No. 11 New Mexico (26-9), 12:10 p.m.
At Spokane, Wash.
No. 4 Alabama (21-11) vs. No. 13 College of Charleston (27-7), 4:35 p.m.
No. 5 Saint Mary’s (26-7) vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon (29-4), 7:05 p.m.